November 2006   Achilles
Achilles the Boxer lives in Alexandria, Virginia with the Monroe family, which includes 3 young girls who love to play with him. His fur is a beautiful fawn color and is velvety soft. While he’s still very playful and “all puppy” at 11 months, Achilles’ 65-pound muscular body attests to the power of his breed. This combination of strength and impishness propelled his owners to seek expert advice in learning how best to train him. They found their answer in Cesar Millan’s book, Cesar’s Way, which helped them understand pack mentality and the psychological makeup of their new puppy. “Exercise first, discipline second, and then affection”—that is Cesar’s philosophy, which was a revelation to Achilles’ humans, who like many new dog owners had it the other way around.

After reading Cesar’s book, the Monroes were convinced that rollerblading with Achilles was the way to fulfill the “exercise” portion of the formula. And guess what—he loves it! Achilles eagerly puts on his doggy backpack, which carries a tennis ball and some water, and off they go, led by his boundless energy. As he gallops down the road with a family member in tow, it is the rare passerby who does not smile at such a site. Thanks to Achilles and his owners, Lee and I have also read Cesar’s book and are now addicted to his TV show, The Dog Whisperer, on the National Geographic channel. Watching this series together has become our steady Friday night date, the perfect start to every weekend.

Achilles is very social and loves to play with other dogs, almost as much as he loves running off with the 5-year old’s stuffed animals. Look for Achilles’ other portrait on our website in Gallery 1.

Click here to read about a previous Dog of the Month winner.